Human-Machine Interaction Device

Overview

The City University of Hong Kong has developed an epidermal wireless human-machine interaction interface with haptic feedback. Wearing this lightweight, flexible e-skin system enables remote human-machine interaction and robot control, which can be used for nursing robots, surgical robots and new crown sampling robots.

Technical name of innovation

Epidermal wireless human machine interface

Research completion

2021

Commercialisation opportunities

Technology licensing agreement

Problem addressed

The current lack of haptic feedback in the field of human-robot interaction is addressed. This epidermal flexible system enables wireless robot control through the strain sensing of joint flexion and finger grasping, and also integrates a haptic feedback device to re-feed the robot's sense of touch to the operator.

Innovation

Time-delay-free, wireless remote control of robots is realized with just a soft skin patch.
The touch sense felt by the robot are fed back to the human-machine interaction operator in real time.
The operator makes real-time adjustments based on haptic feedback, greatly improving the precision and realism of the controls.

Key impact

The entire flexible unit is thin, light,easy to wear, fully functional and low-cost.
As a nursing robot with haptic feedback, it allows for more realistic remote care.
As a surgical robot with haptic feedback, it improves the precision of surgery and reduces the dependence on a highly qualified surgeon.
As a COVID-19 sampling robot with haptic feedback, it improves the comfort of pharyngeal and nasal swabbing and avoids infections for the sampling staff.

Award

Gold Medal at Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days 2022

Application

Nursing robot
Surgical robot
COVID-19 sampling robot

Patent

Patent filing number：17/543，973

Video

Website

City University of Hong Kong (CityU)

As one of the fastest growing universities in the world over the past decade, City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is recognised as a hub for innovation in research and professional education. CityU identifies solutions to critical global challenges by extending the frontiers of knowledge both within and beyond existing research paradigms.

The University’s highly qualified academics are drawn from all over the world, not only bringing a wealth of research and professional experience to the teaching programmes, but also contributing to the knowledge and technology advancement.

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